


Shooting Star

by MusicalCatharsis



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-09
Updated: 2018-01-30
Packaged: 2019-03-02 16:50:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,071
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13322400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MusicalCatharsis/pseuds/MusicalCatharsis
Summary: Sequel to Shining Star. Luke and Penelope have been dating for eight months when they travel to Maine and join the rest of the Alvez family for an annual camping trip. It’s only three days, what could possibly go wrong?





	1. Prologue

“I’m calling my mom,” Luke shouts as he enters the kitchen to make her another cup of tea. “You’re sick and I’m not going to take you camping when you have a cold.” Penelope rolls her eyes before standing from the couch and follows the man into the room. She watches with heavy lids as he prepares her mug the way she likes before turning around and deflating at the sight of her puffed face and red nose. “You look pitiful.”

“Gee, Lu, you really know how to make a girl feel special,” Penelope grumbles as she takes the mug from her boyfriend and sticks her tongue out before sniffling loudly. She slides into the chair nestled up against the bar in his kitchen with a soft groan. “Don’t cancel. I’m going to work from here and sleep the day away cuddled up with Roxy and hopefully by Thursday I’ll be feeling better because I want to go.” Penelope lays her warm forehead against the cool surface of the counter and sighs when Luke places his hands on the back of her neck. She asks softly, “Do you have to work today?”

Luke laughs and replaces his hands with his lips on the back of her neck, “Yes, babe, I unfortunately have to work but I’ll be home as soon as the case is over.”

“Okay,” Penelope whispers as she turns her head to the side in order to look at him. “You promise?” She blinks softly as he nods and leans over to press a kiss to her cheek and then her forehead.

“I promise, now let’s get you back into bed,” Luke laughs again as he wraps his left arm around her shoulder and picks up her tea with his right hand and guides her into his bedroom. Penelope sniffles as she pulls her sweater tighter around her frame and watches as Luke pulls back the blankets on his bed for her. She lets out a small series of sneezes followed by a soft moan as Luke hands her a tissue before sliding into the bed and turning onto her side. She allows the man to pull the blankets over her shoulders and is relieved when she feels the bed dip under his weight. “Are you sure you don’t just want me to tell Emily that you’re taking the day off,” he asks while running his hands over her forehead.

Penelope shakes her head wildly before she groans and slides her eyes closed. She reaches up to hold her head in her hands and accepts the Advil that Luke was handing to her. After swallowing the pills she sighs and looks up at her boyfriend, wondering to herself how she had ever gotten so lucky as to be with him. Thinking back on the past eight months, Penelope lets a wide smile stretch her lips across her face and feels the tingle of another sneeze in her nose. She looked frightful, or well she thought she did anyway, and it was weird to her the way the man was staring at her as if she was the most beautiful thing in the world. Looking back up at the man, Penelope realizes that he had asked her a question and she laughs before answering, “No, I want to work...I have to work or else I’ll sleep all day.”

“Maybe sleeping is what you need,” Luke tells his girlfriend and chuckles when she rolls her eyes at his comment before fixing him with a glare. “What was I thinking; you’re Penelope Garcia and you know everything. A little cold won’t be able to keep you from conquering the world.”

“I’m going to miss you,” Penelope whispers as she burrows herself deeper into the thick blanket. This was one of the man reasons she preferred sleeping at Luke’s place rather than her own. His bed felt like sleeping on a cloud and for a man who didn’t sleep very often when he was home, he made sure that his bedding was of the highest quality. She rubbed her cheek against the pillow and sighed when he leaned over her and pressed a kiss to her forehead. His breath was a welcomed heat against the chilled expanse of her forehead and she found that she wanted him to stay like this forever. The shrill ringing of his phone shattered the bubble they had created for themselves that morning and Penelope couldn’t stop the giggle that escaped her mouth after she spoke, “Don’t forget to hangup this time.”

“I was going to miss you,” Luke replies as he answers the phone. He keeps rubbing her back through the blanket and before Penelope realizes her eyelids are drooping closed. “I love you my North Star,” he whispers against her forehead as his girlfriend lets out a small snore. Shaking his head the man gets off of the bed and places her laptop closer to her on the bed. Luke stands at the door and watches her sleep for a few moments before he sighs and exits the room.


	2. Chapter 2

Penelope Garcia was never one for the wilderness. She had always known this about herself and the knowledge was only reiterated as she stared down at the three bags full of her belongings that she had to take with her on their camping trip. She settles onto the bed, folds her legs in front of her, and places her elbows onto her thighs. Sighing heavily, Penelope rests her chin in her palm and continues staring at the suitcases laying open on the floor in front of her closet. A faint sound of keys tinkling against her front door alerts Penelope that Luke had arrived to begin their weekend in the wild. She huffs out an exasperated breath of air before tossing herself back onto the bed and staring up at her ceiling. Why had she agreed to go camping again? She wasn't one for roughing it, but the thought of sleeping under the stars with her boyfriend was too great to pass up.

"Babe," Luke calls out from the front of the apartment. "Are you ready to go?" Penelope chuckles as she covers her eyes with her forearm.

"Define ready," she replies as he walks into the room. "I have three suitcases -" she pauses and lifts herself onto her elbows to look at him as his boisterous laughter fills the space around her. "What is so funny?"

"Are you feeling better?" Luke climbs onto the bed and rests his arm around her waist as he smiles down at the woman. "Because according to this packing you're not better at all." Penelope swats at his shoulder and flops back down onto the bed with a soft growl. "In all seriousness though, we're going to have to repack your bags because heels and dresses aren't going to work while camping, Star."

"But that's what I'm comfortable in," Penelope whines as she turns to face him. It had been eight months since their small Christmas vacation and the beginning of their relationship. She curls herself onto the surface of the bed and leans closer to him with a small yawn. Penelope hadn't slept well the night before as Luke wasn't there beside her and now that he was, her body was relaxing and trying to slip into sleep. Yawning again she closes her eyes and leans into Luke's chest, "I do have some leggings I can wear and I think I have some shorts too."

"Hey," Luke mutters softly as he shakes her softly to keep her awake. "We have a plane to catch in a few hours."

"No." Penelope shakes her head and moves closer to her boyfriend. She smiles softly as he wraps his arms around her and begins rubbing her back softly. "I want to lay here and sleep with you."

"I know." He kisses her forehead softly. "But we're going to have to get you packed properly and in the car. You can sleep on the plane."

"Sleep now, Luke," Penelope whispers. "I couldn't sleep last night because you weren't here." She can feel the vibrations of his voice under her cheek as Luke chuckles at her words. His breath is warm as it passes over the top of her head and Penelope slips further into sleep as Luke tries to keep her awake. "Where's my girl?"

"Roxy is with Janie for the weekend," Luke tells her as he sits up on the bed. "She's got the new bed you bought her and the outrageous bowls and when I mentioned you she licked my face. So I think that means she wants me to give you a kiss." Penelope laughs and opens her right eye slightly even though she wanted to continue to slip back into sleep. "I'll do the packing if you tell me where everything is," Luke offers gently as he coaxes her into a siting position on the bed. Yawning loudly Penelope nods and stretches her hands above her head. She shoots a glare at her boyfriend and whines as she slides to the edge of the bed.

"What's the weather going to be like out there?" Penelope takes a deep breath in through her mouth and stares down at the carpet and her purple painted toenails. Her head was spinning and she didn't want to alert Luke to the way that she was feeling lest the man start overreacting again. She couldn't pinpoint why she was still feeling like this, but the pressure behind her eyes and the stuffiness of her nose was driving her crazier with each day that passes.

"Hot during the day but colder at night," Luke replies as he pulls open her closet and begins to hang the dresses she had previously packed. He chuckles to himself and places her heels back onto their shelves, making sure to turn one shoe with the heel showing to match the others. He ducks down to the bottom shelf and pulls out her sneakers and a bin she had full of flip flops and deposits them into the suitcase that used to house her heels. "You're going to want to bring socks and some long sleeved shirts for the night, even for the summer it does get pretty chilly." Penelope nods and begins to open drawers that weren't as frequently used before walking back over to her boyfriend and dumping the clothes on his head.

"I look better in dresses," she mutters.

"You look good in anything," Luke tells her with a smirk. "But I prefer you naked if we're being honest." Penelope blushes before rushing back over to her dresser in order to pull the rest of the clothing she would need for the weekend out of it's depths.

* * *

 

"Cabela's?" Penelope questions as they pull the rental into the parking lot. "What're we doing here?"

"We need camping supplies," Luke tells her with a smile. "I usually share a tent with Sac but Dani is here this year. We're going to share the campsite though." Penelope rolls her eyes as he climbs out of the driver's seat and pushes her glasses further up her nose with a loud sniffle. She leans her head back against the seat as she unbuckles herself and closes her eyes while she waits for the sudden wave of dizziness to pass. She's smiling at him when he opens her door and she takes her time stepping from the vehicle. Penelope laces her fingers through Luke's and lets him guide her into the store.

"What kind of camping supplies do we need," Penelope asks loudly as he grabs a cart and hands it to her before grabbing one for himself. The man takes off into the store, making sure that she was following him, and shaking her head Penelope follows him into the store. She pulls her phone from her pocket and presses the home button several times in order to look at the screen, "And where are we exactly, my cell reception is spotty. I can't live like this."

"We're in Scarborough, Maine love," Luke tells her with a wide smile. "And we need a lot of supplies, first on the list is a tent."

"You brought me camping and you don't even own a tent, Luke," Penelope chastises him as they quickly walk through the store. "A tent is like the basic essential for camping is it not, like how do you go camping without a tent? Well I'm sure you could go camping without a tent because you're you...but me, Luke I need a tent over my head if you expect me to sleep outside and is that pink-" Penelope cuts her rambling short and turns her cart towards the large section of pink products that had caught her eye. When Luke eventually joins her, she continues speaking as if there was never a lull. "Now, I get that if something is pink then it's going to cost more, but isn't this cute, Luke!"

"No," he replies while shaking his head. Penelope pouts as the man reaches out to take the item from her hands as she tightens her grip. "We're not buying her that."

"You're right we are not," Penelope tells him with a wide smile. "I am and I'm going to put it on her and she's going to love it."

"I refuse to let her wear pink," Luke counters as he crosses his arms over his chest. Penelope stomps her foot and looks up at her boyfriend with wide eyes.

"So now men get to dictate what dogs can wear too," Penelope asks sweetly. "I didn't know that their penis power extended that far." Luke's mouth drops open at her words and Penelope smirks up at him. Slowly she holds her hand over the open basket of the carriage and loosens her grip. The clattering of the pink camouflage collar hitting the plastic signaling that Luke had in fact lost this round between them. "Roxy is going to look adorable in that collar!"

"Okay, can we get a tent now or..."

"Are there pink tents," Penelope asks, her voice taking on a higher octave as for the first time in a while her dizziness had dissipated and she was ready to tackle the weekend.

Cautiously Luke replies, "I believe so, but they're not practical."

"Who cares about practical when you can have fabulous," Penelope replies as she takes off towards the tent section of the store. Shaking his head and smiling at her back, Luke follows her across the aisle, knowing that he would do anything to make her happy.

* * *

 

Penelope closes her eyes as the young cashier, with a rather large pimple on his chin, scans their items slowly. She didn't want to continue to watch the total creep higher in front of her, knowing that her boyfriend would try and pay for the entire carriage full of items. Her hands had already wrapped around her card inside of her purse and she was avoiding looking at Luke because she knew that he would be staring at her with eyes that disapproved of the next step she was going to take. She jolts when his lips connect with the tip of her nose and sighs softly when his warm hands wrap around her waist.

"Put the sparkly credit card away, Penelope," he whispers softly into her ear.

"But most of this stuff is pink, that I picked out, so I should be the one to pay for it." she counters with her eyes still closed. Penelope focuses on her breathing as another wave of dizziness overcomes her.

"Here's the deal," Luke begins after he presses a kiss to her cheek. "You can pay for everything if we take out the pink collar, but if we're buying the collar I'll pay for everything."

"How is that a deal," Penelope asks as she opens her eyes. She gasps and holds onto the handle of the cart tightly before she continues. "I don't get the collar and I have to pay for everything, that's hardly fair!"

The hand around her waist tightens. "Are you feeling okay?" His voice is low an edged with concern as Penelope nods fervently. "Do you need water," he continues and turns to the cashier. "I'm going to carry her out to the car, I'll be right back."

"I'm fine Luke," she hisses as he bends down to begin to lift her off of the floor. "Do not pick me up, or so help me I will pay for all of this and dress Roxy in a sweater the moment we get back."

"I'm worried about you," Luke tells her softly as he stands upright and pulls her forehead to his lips. "You're really scaring me with these dizzy spells."

"It's just the change in temperature," Penelope shrugs and smiles. "I'm fine, honestly." Luke sighs and reaches into his pocket for his wallet. Penelope can't help but giggle as the man growls audibly. "I thought that your wallet was rather boring, so I put a few stickers on it while you were asleep on the plane," she explains quickly.

"What am I going to do with you," he asks as he hands his card to the cashier.

"Love me forever," Penelope replies in a teasing voice as she follows him out to the SUV and tries to help him put their purchases into the back of the vehicle. "Because there are more stickers and a full weekend ahead of us!"

His chiseled jaw had always taken her breath away and with the sunlight shining onto him, she finds that she can't breathe this time at the sight of him. For a moment she's thinking clearly, she's not dizzy, her nose is clear enough that she can smell his cologne, and her eyes don't hurt from focusing on one thing for too long. She had never thought that she would describe a male as being beautiful, but in this moment, she realizes that her boyfriend is the most beautiful creature she had ever seen in her lifetime. Sure, they hand't been dating for long, but Penelope knew in this moment and several moments leading up to this one, that she wanted to spend the rest of her life loving and being loved by Luke Alvez.

"You ready to go," his voice breaks her out of her trance and she smiles widely at him.

"I'm ready for everything."


End file.
